Is America’s Future Progressive? “The Obama-Bernanke-Geithner economy has done little to reverse the relative decline of the middle and working class, whose their share of national income have fallen to record lows. If you don’t work for venture-backed tech firms, coddled, money-for-nearly-free Wall Street or for the government, your income and standard of living has probably declined since the middle of the last decade.” Yeah, but will the outsiders ever get wise to the reason for this dichotomy? How long can it stay “Bush’s fault”?

The sad thing is that I was never in a situation where I could say I was doing fantastic or perfect. I was getting there, but then Obama became President. I didnt even get a chance to mourn for the great old days. Terrible.

That is about the saddest thing I’ve heard in awhile. Yours are usually very positive entries here. I hope and pray that we see it again, that you see it, but it sure isn’t moving that way. It seems like so few people really even care. I was so motivated by the Tea Party movement. Went to all the rallies and did all that was asked of me then they just sort of fell apart. Power struggles and all I guess. This was a wonderful country, I am so grateful to have lived to see some of the great days. To see them again the young people need to be convinced that it is a better way than this “progressive” movement. I see nothing progressive about it.

I am sorry. However it is the truth. I would love to say that I had at least a good 10 years in this country where I have very little fears since I had amassed a good nest egg and will try to stem the tide hoping for a better future… but I can’t say any of that stuff. I am very happy for those that due to time and great decisions (responsible ways) have a nest egg and can stem the tide, but sadly I am not one of those people. I was getting to that point, if Obama hadn’t been President it is very very possible that I would be much better off right now. Admittingly there is no way to REALLY know if McCain would have been better … there is no way for me to really know that regardless of Obama being a terrible President these past four years, Romney could have made things better for me and the country. I am very upset that the American Dream sadly and so far did not work for me as I work to achieve it. Not all of it is perhaps the government’s fault, but I tried and the government is certainly not making it easy for me. It is what it is. I just have to keep believing that something out there is better than what it is righ tnow and keep it real.

Things will be different in the future but not necessarily worse. The pendulum will swing back toward the right. What is happening now is so bad that it cannot stand without a significant push back from us, the people. I believe that we will regain our collective (for lack of a better word) sanity and actually reform this country starting with government. Getting there is the dicey part. It could be very bad in some streets. I hope not.

I see it as being like a drug addict. We have to hit bottom before we realize, as a country, that we have a problem. As long as Joe Average has a six pack of beer and the game is on, everything is ok. Watch and see what happens when the country in general doesn’t have enough money to support pro sports, Hollywood, and the video game industry. It’s gonna get ugly.

Hello, people!! You will be reporting to the re-education camps shortly for such uncensored words about our beloved leaders.

It will ALWAYS be Bush’s fault. It is the only thing the media in our country knows will always incite feelings of hatred from the progs and therefore completely negates any actual logical facts. Feelings are where it’s at, doncha know?

We should enjoy our standard of living right this minute. The progs are doing everything they can to lower us to a banana republic status.

The best revenge is living well. I don’t have to have a lot of money to do that. (good thing too, because my money must go to be redistributed to welfare recipients)

If by progressive, you mean state controled, & I say no. There will be enough people to resist what progressives think is the way forward. They will never have everything they want without a fight of some kind.

To date I have seen no fight. I wonder when the straw will be placed on the camel’s back that will at long last break it. I really don’t think any one cares enough anymore. I would love to think a movement exists but really, I don’t think so. obama won by too narrow a margin offering proof to what I say here. That shouldn’t have happened.

The fact that Boehner could not get enough votes to pass “Plan B” tells me that the TEA Party is still a force. The progs are on the offensive but they haven’t won yet. Nullification is proving to be an effective way to slow down Obamacare. Let’s see what other civil disobedience occurs. Funny that I am seeing more HD Thoreau quotes on my FB news feed. We the people are just saying “no”. Pretty interesting possibilities.

It’s funny you mentioned the TEA Party. Someone from the Washington Post was on FOX trying to marginalize them today, and the conservative mentioned that the reason you don’t hear so much from them isn’t that they aren’t active, but because they are distracted by having jobs!

If it wasn’t for corporations willing to employ me and pay me for my services I would not be able to feed myself. It is the taxes and regulations that are giving me a hard time. You don’t seem to understand that, because you are walking around with a hard on for ancient Ron Ron all the time. If you actually work for a living and KNOW how business happens you wouldn’t be talking out of your ass all of the time.

Humans have lived without corporations for thousands of years. It was not until 1913 when Corporate Greed hijacked our money supply and infrastructure that they enslaved us all and fooled us into thinking that we need them.

A human like me would have been a slave and/or a slew of other terrible things any thousands of years ago. Advances in technology, education, and so on that can be traced back to free market, innoventions made possible thorugh investments, and contemporary business made it possible for someone like me to garner the education and the skills to get a job without me having to work for free or stay at home married to a horrible yet perhaps well off husband (marry for money and security) if I didnt want to or have to whore myself for a sugar daddy.

People arent perfect and evil people will use any institution or facility in evil ways, that is what laws and individuals rising against the mistreatment are for. In the meantime not all people in business can be labeled as greedy or evil.

I see that there is no talking to you. Either you are willful in your stupidity or you are just a paid stooge or you have nothing else to do with your life. If you had any type of goal in life you couldn’t speak this way unless you have serious problems or you have a nice cushy trustfund somewhere.

42 TD’s, 42 people have read your comment, decided they were active enough to TD you, but where are their posts? Don’t get me wrong, I think you’re and idiot, but at least you post stuff. Every now and then you actually post something that is almost intellectual but needs articulating, it happens about .0001% of the time, but it does happen. I don’t get how that many people disagree with you but only voice their opinion with a TD. I think someone on here knows a way around the system.

I just wonder who it is. There are a lot of post that deserve 42 TU’s, none of yours of course, but it’s just not realistic that you get 42 TD’s in these parts.

Anyone care to confess? Am I going to be chronically TD because I’m calling someone out on it?

I just have one question though crowley, why are you such an idiot? You make people like me who think highly of the Libertarian movement look bad. Do you just get off at being a troll? Your posts aren’t worth my time, I see your name and move on usually. You claim your time is “not that worthless” to make multiple accounts and TU yourself, but clearly your time is worthless enough to be a troll who contributes nothing useful. So what gives?

Where would a person find the full-auto thumb down conversion kit, anyway? I never read his posts. No one should. There is no point to it. He spanks his weewee hoping to goad anyone into responding to his whistle. There are others who apparently do not agree, but the evidence obviates the fact.

That seems like one of the few legitimate questions anyone has ask me here so here is my attempt at an answer.

Just like it’s your right to call me an idiot or not, it is equally my right to express my opinion no matter how idiotic people may perceive it as.

So the more opposition my opinions create, the more I show my dislike for the global homogenization of ideas and globalization of nations (of which I codenamed Corporate Greed). Even Sidekick admitted “globalization is here to stay”. Whether that is a good or bad thing is up to opinion but there is always the struggle between individual rights and world government.

My “obsession” with Ron Paul? It’s an obsession with how our democratic system has been hijacked though widespread groupthink and using the opinions of a chosen few to sway the opinions of many. The electoral collage, the two party system, and the nail in the coffin was what recently happened at the RNC, all proof that the people are no longer in charge of picking their leaders.

So by “that’s fine” you agree with me and are just looking for the most insignificant excuse that I get a few foodstamps per month (for three people mind you, not just me) to feel like this holds no merit.

I have no problem with you needing a little assistance. I do have a few questions though. What do you do for a living? Do you have kids? Do you work? Are you looking everyday for a job where you don’t need assistance or are you stagnant in your lifestyle? Why do you have the internet and a computer but need government assistance? Do you use food stamps but have a flat screen and an Xbox? Just curious is all.

Joe, he has admitted here that he lives with his parents, his one and only job was as a census taker, and he basically hasn’t done anything else.
He claims the food stamps he gets are to feed 3 people, but hasn’t given any indication that his parents aren’t working, so I strongly suspect it is a sympathy ploy, since he doesn’t work, and never qualified for unemployment, he doesn’t have rent money, so he probably worked a deal with mommy to use his food stamps as rent.

Poor guy. The only advice I could give him is to get a job, it will fix a lot of what’s wrong with him.

As Breitbart put it in his book: “I was beginning to understand that my self-worth was in direct proportion to how hard I applied myself to productive pursuits.” I don’t think being unemployed and trolling on the internet is a productive pursuit.

How does posting on a message board equate to fighting for freedom? Of any kind. Grow up and roll your fat ass out the door and get a job. My 18 yo has never been out of a job since he entered the work force. What’s your pathetic excuse today? I’m from Connecticut, I know that they have businesses and everything there.

Sidekick, I bet you’re proud of your son. At 18 he’s already been more productive than this 27 year old turd Crowley.
I feel sorry for Crowley’s parents, they will never get to enjoy their golden years with a middle aged pain in the ass living in their basement.

Survive the ordeals of modern day life as you strive toward the career of your dreams in My Life Story. As a recent high school graduate living in your parents’ basement, life is just getting started. It’s time to find a job, move into an apartment and work your way through the collegiate ranks. As you explore the town, you’ll uncover special events, intriguing encounters and even home furnishings that improve your weekend.

You’ll also earn Life Cards, equipped with powerful bonuses to aid you when the time is right. Difficult choices lurk around every corner, and only you know the true path to success.
—————
I think it will help you with your struggle to find your way in the world. Who knows, maybe you might learn the tools you need to become an employed and self supporting, independent person!
Make your parents proud!
I’m just doing my part to help the people of Connecticut.

Well I think you should try an acronym instead of a codename, but GHIGD isn’t very good, you should think of something else.

I agree with you though, there is to much group think, opinions are clearly chosen by a few (like the media, including FOX), the two party system has gotten us to where we are today, and ya, the RNC was bullshit. The electoral college, I have nothing against. Please express your opinion of it, I’ll listen.

Also, less “Ron Paul” and “Corporate Greed” please, because you seriously make me look bad by defending you. I don’t want to defend you, I think you’re a troll. I just can’t help myself, I have this thing where I encourage others to be better people. I dunno.

“Just like it’s your right to call me an idiot or not, it is equally my right to express my opinion no matter how idiotic people may perceive it as.”

Straw buddy, pure Ray Bolger in a flannel shirt. No one questions your “right” to free expression. What is questioned is your “right” to a free lunch . . . one that is not so free if you happen to be a maker, which you are not.

“So the more opposition my opinions create, the more I show my dislike for the global homogenization of ideas and globalization of nations (of which I codenamed Corporate Greed). Even Sidekick admitted “globalization is here to stay”. Whether that is a good or bad thing is up to opinion but there is always the struggle between individual rights and world government.”

Snark off for a moment. You have no ability to create opposition opinions here. The people that come and comment on this site know far more about these issues than you do. Time and again you’ve demonstrated an absurdly low level of knowledge when it comes to economics, politics or even who is running for President (remember, you are the guy that didn’t know who Gary Johnson was). You lack even the smallest amount of knowledge possible to influence any opinion here.

Take for example these very recent comments on globalization of yours. The globalization Sidekick might very well be referring to is one of markets and not governments. In that case it is something that your hero Ron Paul is very much in favor of. And as a guy that has expressed sympathy for ‘communism done right’ the prospect should appeal to you as well in that this is the method by which Marx suggested that communism would come about. You would know this if you had ever read the man. But of course you either have not or have not understood what you read.

As for individual freedom . . . your parasitic expectations of the system demand a facilitator to remove wealth from those that have earned it and give it to people like you. This corporatist system that survives and exists in your name has driven my contribution to the system north of sixty percent of my income and at midnight tonight I am going to get hit with a tax increase large enough to pay for a car.

Alright Snark is back on.

“My “obsession” with Ron Paul? It’s an obsession with how our democratic system has been hijacked though widespread groupthink and using the opinions of a chosen few to sway the opinions of many.”

Again you show your ignorance. That is always the result of a democracy. That is why the founders gave us a republic. To protect the rights of the individual from those that felt they could vote themselves our money. The republic was implemented to protect us from people that exist as you do John.

Were you really that familiar with Ron Paul you would not speak of the corruption of democracy. You would instead talk in terms of a return to the republican system. But as always you don’t understand these things. You think that increasing minimum wage is a notion that Austrians like Paul would be in favor of. Or regulations ending outsourcing. Or government agencies that would inhibit the “globalization” encouraged by free trade. Now I like Ron Paul. And I like him enough to be familiar with his positions and to reject a number of them (sure I don’t want to be the world’s police, but I still don’t feel that Iran would be a nation run by saints if we just left them alone. Their leaders -not their people mind you- are evil and want to kill all the Jews. I will forever oppose this for moral reasons alone).

But this obsession of yours with the man is either the result of some sort of mental illness or you are trying to drive a wedge between those that are conservative and those that are libertarian.

In either case you know nothing of the man’s economic or political views. And even if you did you are in opposition to most of them.

“The electoral collage, the two party system, and the nail in the coffin was what recently happened at the RNC, all proof that the people are no longer in charge of picking their leaders.

Actually the electoral college (not the electoral “collage”, it is not an organization interested in cutting up bits of candidates and rearranging them in an aesthetically pleasing, and possibly meaningful, way across a board or some other likewise improvised canvas. -ok so that was probably a typo not something I’m really going to hold against your argument, but I couldn’t resist) is there to protect states rights to executive representation in a system that would otherwise favor only those states with the most voters. But again you’re probably not very familiar with this mechanism even if you did once watch a five minute youtube video on the subject.

I personally do not like what was done to Ron Paul at the convention. But that isn’t a nail in the system or democracy or anything else. Romney would have gotten the nomination one way or the other. The same cannot be said of Obama in 2008. Obama cheated Hillary out of the nomination just as he cheated his way in into the state legislature the Senate and possibly into the White House this time around. I sent you the links. I sent you the links on several occasions. You ignored them and you ignored them because you have no interest in a fair appraisal of things.

And as far as what the RNC did it does not matter. They are a private organization. They can do what ever they want. You see that is how America works, or at least how it should work. We should all be free (including private organizations) to do what we want so long as it is expected that we alone will suffer the consequences and that we do not expect others to pay our way.

But you are not in favor of this system at all. That system doesn’t allow for you to steal from our children in order to have the government feed you. So thanks for the corporatism John . . . but not really. You see it might be just great for looters like you, but it sucks for all the rest of us that have to pay your fair share too.

Thanks! I’m so busy these days I never have as much time to make comments on here as I like. Fortunately people here have a knack for saying what I want to say more precisely and concisely than I ever manage!

Imagining the whistle to have a rudimentary understanding of the difference between a Democracy and a Republic, or that the system designed by our Founders was in fact a Constitutional Representative Republic is a stretch so far as to compromise even the most modern fabrics!

Which was fine until Corporate Greed twisted and corrupted the representative system for their own selfish needs. To specifically reference the date 1913 when the privately owned Federal Reserve hijacked this country’s money supply and manipulated it for their own greedy goals.

Hey, stupid, the Federal Reserve may be a private entity but it came about by an act of Congress. A Central Bank is also one of Marx’s 10 Pillars of Communism. Corporate greed had nothing to do with it. It was progressive ideology that gave us the Fed. How’s the job hunt going?

An act of Congress brought on by early 20th century globalist expansion and the impending need for increased military spending for WWI. Essencially the start of the military industrial complex that has continued to this day and has recently put us trillions in debt. IE: Corporate Greed.

”Which was fine until Corporate Greed twisted and corrupted the representative system for their own selfish needs. To specifically reference the date 1913 when the privately owned Federal Reserve hijacked this country’s money supply and manipulated it for their own greedy goals.”
The Federal Reserve is an entity that only exists because of a central economic authority that is the Federal Government. Carp all you want about them being a “private entity” without the protection of the aFederalist government they would not exist, nor could they. I guess after all this time you still don’t understand what corporatism is. I’d send you some literature on the subject, but I doubt you’d read it . . . and I’m beginning to wonder if you would understand it even if you did.
That this (essentially) un Constitutional entity could be created by Congress speaks to the failure of democracy when not tempered by a republics protection of individual rights. It is a failure that, given a long enough timeline, will always occur. People like you will always make it happen. You want free stuff so you support the existence of a system that can remove property from the productive ones and give it to the plunderers. And when the particular and necessary mechanism is created to accomplish this it feeds itself on a theft of property just the same as you do. The difference is, however, despite the artificially high prices and low quality of goods that come about thanks to you system these corporatists still provide some services that I want and need. You provide nothing other than your personal avarice.“An act of Congress brought on by early 20th century globalist expansion and the impending need for increased military spending for WWI. Essencially the start of the military industrial complex that has continued to this day and has recently put us trillions in debt. IE: Corporate Greed.”
Now a lot of the issues leading to WWI were not, as you’ve suggested, globalism but rather proto-nationalism. Just as, in the decades that followed, many nations entered into many alliances and many people wanted resources that were limited. It is important that you understand this difference. It is what informs the contrast between fascism and communism (well at least the Marxist variant). Communism (in the form you like and seem to think is so advantageous) is the true globalist movement. It is also the reason why the socialists (after the Bolshevik Revolution) turned more and more often to corporatism. They wanted foreign investment that would have been scarce unless there was the veneer of private enterprise. And the foreign investment liked a rigged system which destroyed their competition and got them higher prices for cheaper goods.
Of course the military industrial complex might have roots in this era . . . just as it might have roots in Alexander Hamilton trying to turn us into a mercantilist empire. Personally I think we can’t rightly pinpoint its rise until the Marshall Plan. All the same this corporatism that we are suffering under continues because we are at the whim of an electorate that does not understand and even if it did would not vote to remove it. And as the last two elections have proved it is the welfare, and not the warfare, state that is keeping it in power. And you John are an ambassador of the welfare state. You fail to contribute (not that I care if you do) and succeed at demanding more and more from Americans that are struggling because your rigged system is ever increasing its consumption of their labor. You are the reason the corporatists are in power. And you’re like have been the reason since at least the ‘War on Poverty’ (which has created far more debt for this nation than a similar time period of defense spending has –and of course defense spending did give us the Internet, NASA and the modern technological age- although I believe the private sector could have done much of this and for less money) and perhaps even as far back as the New Deal.

I looked at a bunch of the listings for entry level jobs, and I don’t think he qualifies for any of them. Basic math skills, ability to communicate with customers, lifting heavy objects. Nah, not Crowley’s cup of tea. He’ll just have to keep getting paid by the post by whoever it is that wants to make the Libertarian Party look stupid.

I thumb nearly everything either up or down. It’s a marker, so I know I’ve read it. If someone who I normally agree with says something I don’t agree with, I leave it unmarked. If Crowley posts ANYTHING, I thumb it down, just because.

Some thoughts on what WE can do as individuals: “One need not have an actual conspiracy to achieve the practical effects of a conspiracy. More regimes have been brought, piecemeal, to their knees by what was once called ‘Irish Democracy,’ the silent, dogged resistance, withdrawal, and truculence of millions of ordinary people, than by revolutionary vanguards or rioting mobs.”http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/158226/

All these so called progressives (Communist scum would be closer to the truth) have done is;
1) Kill the economy of one of the most prosperous countries ever formed.
2) Eroded the constitution and the bill of rights to irrelevancy
3) Vilify success, and destroy self esteem in the name of fairness
4) Create a dependent class of people solely for their personnel edification.
I could continue, but I’m only making myself angrier.